Alouette, je te plumerai

"The whole problem can be stated quite simply by asking, 'Is there a meaning to music?'
"My answer to that would be, 'Yes.'
"And, 'Can you state in so many words what the meaning is?'
"My answer to that would be, 'No.'"
- Aaron Copland

I have three Canadian tune tracts. The first is "Canada Sings," copyrighted in 1935 by New York's Robbins Music Corporation. It's a "community song book for schools, clubs, fraternities, homes and community singing." Even okayed for the Alberta school curriculum back in the day.

It includes France's "La Marseillaise" and "God Save the King." Plus "Nearer My God to Thee" and "Favourites Like K-K-K-Katy, Home On The Range... And Many More."

How about this: "Oh Canada, oh Canada! Her laws are just and good [...]
Be strong, ye sons of Canada
Ye daughters brave and true
with heart and hand guard well the land
which God has given you."

I tend to need a clean break from the Lord after "Canada Sings." My "Canadian Wobbly Songbook" does the trick. It was produced in 1990, "to fan the flames of discontent."

From Faith Nolan's "Box Factory":
"We'd go to lunch for half an hour
The boss would use our time to
lecture us on power
He said you better move faster
or your job will soon be gone
He'd lie and drone on and on
There's no union to help me fight anyway
There's no union in a sweat shop place."

But the Wobblies, bless'em, can be a bit single-minded. My most recent tome is "The Raging Grannies Songbook," a 1993 effort by little old ladies in purple in Victoria (and elsewhere). How's about this one:

"Hey ho! Hey Ho! As off to bed we go
We grannies smile because we know
Safe sex is quite the best
Ho hey! Ho Hey! It could be night or day
Explicit rules we all obey
Safe sex is best."

Lyrics alone can be painful. The words are magnets straining to attach to melody and tone. Like that last tune.... originally sung by dwarves as "off to work they go."

Damn. Earworm!